NEWS RELEASE
Montreal, QC – October 29, 2026
Scotland’s PYROCLAST Sign Worldwide Deal with Rockshots Records
Reissue of Albums “Fractured State” and “No Place for the Damned”
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Rockshots Records announces a worldwide partnership with Glasgow-based heavy metal band PYROCLAST, encompassing the international distribution of their latest album, “Fractured State” (released independently by the band on September 4th, 2026), alongside their 2025 debut, “No Place for the Damned”. Both albums will be available in physical format worldwide starting December 11th, 2026.
To mark the announcement, the band has also unveiled the official music video for “Prisoner Game”, a track taken from “Fractured State”.
Watch “Prisoner Game” Official Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cA2zi07B7xs
Listen to “Fractured State”: https://lnk.to/JA6TR0YE
Regarding the new signing, vocalist Mark Reid states:
“We’ve worked incredibly hard over the years to get our music heard, but there’s only so much you can achieve independently, regardless of how much time and effort you put into it. Signing with Rockshots gives us the opportunity to take that next step, reaching new audiences and bringing our music to parts of the world that would have been difficult for us to reach on our own. What really impressed us throughout our discussions was how much they understood what we’re trying to achieve as a band, and how enthusiastic they were about working with us to make it happen. We’re immensely proud of both No Place for the Damned and Fractured State, and we’re genuinely excited to have Rockshots behind us as we introduce those albums to a much wider audience.”
Formed in 2025 following the final incarnation of Scottish metal band Tantrum, PYROCLAST gave the musicians an opportunity to explore a broader songwriting approach. Rooted in traditional British heavy metal, their sound incorporates power, progressive and thrash influences, combining twin-guitar arrangements, driving rhythms and expressive clean vocals. Their music will appeal to fans of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Helloween.
Across eight tracks, “Fractured State” draws on psychology, history, mythology, literature and speculative fiction, with each composition developing its own narrative. This variety is reflected in the music, which moves between direct, riff-driven heavy metal and more intricate arrangements while maintaining a strong melodic foundation.
Among the album’s tracks, “Prisoner Game” explores the relationship between individual identity and the influence of authority, drawing on the Stanford Prison Experiment conducted in 1971 under psychologist Philip Zimbardo. The study placed participants in a simulated prison environment, assigning them the roles of guards and prisoners to examine human behaviour within an artificial hierarchy. Its methodology, ethical implications and conclusions have since been widely criticised and challenged.
Rather than recounting the experiment itself, the song focuses on the psychological questions it raised, particularly how assigned roles, social expectations and power structures can affect individual behaviour.
The subject has also returned to public attention through the Netflix docuseries “The New Stanford Prison Experiment”, a six-part reality-TV reimagining of the original study. Although entirely independent of PYROCLAST‘s music video, the production explores similar questions surrounding authority, group dynamics and human behaviour, highlighting the continuing debate around the experiment more than five decades later.
Speaking about the song, PYROCLAST vocalist Mark Reid explains:
“Prisoner Game is a dark, driving heavy metal track inspired by the Stanford Prison Experiment. It combines an aggressive opening guitar riff with shifting rhythmic sections, melodic vocals, and a large, immediate chorus. The first song written specifically for “Fractured State”, it was also conceived as the opening part of a trilogy exploring psychological experiments involving conformity, obedience, and the influence of authority.”
To Order “Fractured State” here: https://rockshots.eu/products/pyroclast-fractured-state-cd
To Order “No Place For The Damned” here:
https://rockshots.eu/products/pyroclast-no-place-for-the-damned-cd
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Track Listing:
1. Pyroclast – 4:30
2. Slaughterhouse – 3:50
3. Break the Tide – 5:08
4. Prisoner Game – 4:52
5. Brought by a Flame – 5:21
6. Beneath the Beyond – 5:25
7. Ozymandias – 5:38
8. Erebus and Terror – 9:36
Total Running Time: 44:20
Pyroclast Line-up:
Mark Reid: Vocals
Barry “Baz” Fitzsimmons: Guitar
Chris Horne: Guitar
Liam Barrie: Bass
Jack Davenport: Drums
More info:
https://www.instagram.com/pyroclastrocks/
https://www.facebook.com/pyroclastrocks/
ABOUT:
PYROCLAST is a Scottish heavy metal band formed in 2025, combining the foundations of traditional heavy metal with progressive ambition, melodic songwriting, and a strong emphasis on storytelling.
Although several members had previously worked together in the final incarnation of Scottish metal band Tantrum, PYROCLAST was established as a new band with its own identity and a broader approach to songwriting. The current line-up comprises Mark Reid on vocals, Baz Fitzsimmons and Chris Horne on guitars, Liam Barrie on bass, with Mark Riches performing drums on the band’s debut album.
Drawing inspiration from history, mythology, psychology, literature and speculative fiction, PYROCLAST resist writing to the expectations of any particular subgenre. Instead, each composition is allowed to develop according to the needs of its story, resulting in music that moves naturally between direct, riff-driven heavy metal and more expansive progressive and narrative pieces.
The band’s developing identity began to gain traction on the live circuit in 2025. Following their appearance at Rockmantic that year, Springfest organiser Kevin Dodson approached the band immediately after their set and invited PYROCLAST to perform at Springfest 2026. That appearance, at Blackpool’s legendary Waterloo Music Bar, put the band in front of a packed audience made up largely of people hearing them for the first time and provided an early indication that their broader, more adventurous approach to heavy metal was connecting with listeners.
Following a well-received appearance at Wildfire Festival in 2025, PYROCLAST were also invited to return as special guests in 2026, despite the festival typically avoiding consecutive-year appearances. Their 2026 schedule further included a main-stage performance to a capacity crowd at Firevolt Festival and an appearance at SavFest, the annual fundraising event supporting suicide awareness.
The band took another significant step forward with the release of the single “Break the Tide”. Its accompanying video was PYROCLAST’s first produced with a professional film crew and went on to attract more than 40,000 views, bringing the band to a substantially wider audience.
On 4th September 2026, PYROCLAST independently released their debut album, “Fractured State“. Spanning eight tracks and more than 44 minutes, the album brought together the musical and lyrical identity the band had developed since its formation, combining traditional heavy metal with progressive scope and subjects ranging across psychology, history, mythology, literature and speculative fiction. The album received a strong response from the international metal press, including a 90/100 rating and Album of the Month from Hell Spawn.
Following the release of “Fractured State“, PYROCLAST signed A worldwide licensing agreement with Rockshots Records. The partnership marks the next stage in the band’s development, expanding the international distribution and promotion of “Fractured State” while allowing PYROCLAST to retain control of their independent direct-to-fan activities.
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